Desk stapler



Sept. 1953 w. J. VAIL ETAL 2,651,034

DESK STAPLER Filed July 8, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 8, 1953 w. J. VAlL ET AL 2,651,034

DESK STAPLER Filed July 8, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet z Patented Sept. 8, 1953 DESK STAPLER Walter J. Vail, Richard B. Vail, Le Roy Demerath, Leo J. Dugin, and Curt E. Nyberg, Chicago, 111., assignors to Vail Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 8, 1950, Serial No. 172,764

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a desk type stapling machine for feeding and driving staples, and specifically to the type of stapler which utilizes a magazine cover hinged at its rear end to permit loading of the magazine from the top.

The primary object of our invention is to pro- 'vide a stapler in which, when the staple pusher i manually retracted, the magazine cover will automatically open to expose the staple magazine, and simultaneously automatic means will then engage the staple pusher to hold it in its retracted position while the staple magazine is being replenished, and thereafter when the cover is closed the staple pusher will automatically be restored to its operative position and cause the cover to become locked against opening. Accordingly our invention is mainly concerned with the staple pusher and the magazine opening, closing and lockin means.

Another object is to provide a means to visibly indicate the amount of staples remaining in the magazine at all times.

Other objects and advantages will become aparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a suggestive embodiment of this invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed, but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present stapler;

I Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, showing the cover in its closed position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the cover in a partly open position and the staple pusher fully retracted;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, taken on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail in section, taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the staple rail and staple arm;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the staple pusher per se; and

Fig. 8 is a detail in section, taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, the stapler here shown comprises a base A with an anvil ll mounted thereon near its forward end and a pair of unstanding parallel sup.- ports I2 near its rear end. A staple carrying arm B is pivotally carried between the supports [2 by mean of a pin 14. This arm is in the form of an upwardly facing channel having a bottom l5, sides [6, and a front end wall ll which extends above the sides. Adjacent the front wall I! is a passageway l8 extending through the bottom l5 through which staples are driven downwardly into the work. A lug is struck upwardly from the arm bottom 15 adjacent the passageway l8 Fig. 6).

Carried by the arm B between its sides It is a staple supporting rail C (Fig. 6) in the form of an inverted channel having a top 22 and depending side walls 24. A slot 25 extends for the greater length of the top 22 and a lug 2? depends therefrom adjacent the forward end of the slot. The rail Walls 24 are parallel with and spaced away from the arm sides It except in their rear portion Where they are swelledout at 28 (Fig. 6) so as to abut the rear portion of the sides IE. A pair of bosses 30 extending inwardly from the arm sides 16 just above the rail top 22 serve to confine the rear end portion of the rail against upward movement (see Fig. 2). Each rail'wall 24 has a depending foot 32 which is seated in a slot 33 of corresponding size and shape in the arm bottom I5 near the forward end thereof so as to lock the staple rail C against horizontal movement relative to the supporting arm B. When so interfitted, the lugs 26 and 21 will be positioned one adjacent the other (see Fig. 3).

A pusher rod 35 extends lengthwise between the walls 24 of the staple rail. The rearward end of the rod is formed into an eye 36 which encircles the pivot pin M while the forward end of the rod passes through openings in the lugs 21 and 20 and terminates just short of the staple passageway 18 (Fig. 3) thus effectively supporting itself in place and simultaneously locking the outer end portions of the staple arm B and rail C to each other.

Slidingly mounted on the rail 0 is a staple pusher D in the form of an inverted U having a top 38, sides 39 depending therefrom, and outwardly extended fingergrips 40. A U-shaped bracket 42 sprung into anopening in the top, as

shown in Fig. 7, encircles the rod (Fig. 4) and projects its ends 43 above the pusher top 38. A second opening 45 is provided in the pusher top near its rear end. At the front end of the pusher D is a boss 41 having its front side angled forwardly and downwardly (see Fig. 3). The pusher is arranged to ride upon the staple rail C with its sides 39 positioned between the rail walls 24 and the staple arm sides l6, and with the fingergrips 40 extending outwardly beyond the arm sides |B as shown in Fig. 4. A spring 48 on the rod 35 serves to urge the staple pusher forwardly.

A channel-shaped cover E, having sides 50, a front Wall and a top 52 which slopes downwardly toward the rear, is pivotally carried between the ears |2 by the pin 4. A staple driver 54 in the form of a blade is positioned adjacent the inner side of the front wall 5| and in vertical alignment with the passageway I8, This driver is detachably affixed to the front wall 56 of a four-sided tubular post F which is arranged for guided vertical movement within the cover A hand knob G in the form of a circular cap 51 having a skirt 58 is cut away at 59 directly over the cover top 52 so as to allow it to straddle the top when the knob is depressed during the staple driving operation. The driver 54 is secured to the front wall 56 of the post by a rearwardly struck tine 50 which engages the edge of an openlng 6| provided for that purpose in the post wall so as to press the driver endwise against the under side of the knob cap 51 and thus maintain a constant pressure between the tine 60 and the cap 51 (Fig. 2). The post F is guided in its vertical movements by a pair of vertical flanges 63 extending toward each other from the cover sides (Fig. 5) which engage the post rear wall 64 and in conjunction with the cover sides 50 and the cover front wall 5| provide therefor a guideway wherein the post may move only vertically. A transverse pin 65 which extends between the cover sides passes through vertical slots 61 in the post side walls 69, thus limiting vertical movements of the post to the length of said slots 61.

Extending between the sides of the cover E and secured thereto is a longitudinal plate having an opening 12 adjacent its forward extremity through which the rear end of a leaf spring 14 is inserted, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The front end of this spring engages a transverse pin extending between the post sides so that, when the staple driver 54 is forced downwardly in response to pressure on the knob G, the spring 14 exerts an upward pressure which causes the driver to "be raised following each downward stroke. Near its rearward end the plate. H! is bent downwardly at right angles to form a depending bracket 1] having an opening through which the rearward end of a longitudinally disposed lock bolt 80 is slidingly extended. The forward end portion of this look bolt is slidingly embraced by a bearing 8| which is secured to the cover sides 50 (Fi 5) and the forward end of the bolt passes through a vertical slot 83 in the staple driver '54 to seat within a keeper 84 in the form of an opening (Fig. 6) that is provided in the front wall ,ll of the staple arm B, thereby to provide a ,latming means to lock the cover E and staple arm B together as a single unit. A spring .85 encircles the lock bolt 80, between the depending bracket 1! and a depending lug 81 on the rod just forward of the bracket 11. This spring acts to constantly urge the bolt forwardly; it also-urges the bracket 11 against the rear end of a slot 95 that is formed "in the top of the rail 0 near its rear end. Another spring 99 encircling the pivot pin I4 exerts upward pressure against the cover E with one end portion while its other end portion straddles the pusher rod 35 and extends forwardly between the staple rail walls 24 to a point directly below the rear end of the slot 25 in the top of the staple rail. This end of the spring terminates in an upwardly extended finger 9|,

When the cover E is in its closed locked-down position, the lower edge of the cover front wall 5| meets the upper edge of the staple arm front wall I1, and the side walls 50 of the cover fall just short of meeting the sides 16 of the'staple arm, leaving therebetween a longitudinal slot 93 through which the fingergrips 40 of the staple pusher extend outwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

To replenish the staple supply, it is merely necessary to move the staple pusher rearwardly by the fingergrlps 46, which may readily be grasped by the fingers of one hand, to the point Where the bracket ends 43, on the top of the pusher engage the lug 8'! depending from the lock bolt 80, thereby forcing the bolt to slide rearwardly and unseat its front end from the keeper 84 in the staple arm front Wall H. The cover will then automatically swing upwardly in response to pressure from the spring 90, and simultaneously the finger 9| of the spring 98 will rise and protrude through the slot 25 in the top of the staple rail and into the opening 45 in the staple pusher whereby to act as a latch to hold the pusher in its retracted position, as shown in Fig. 3. The staple rail is now completely unobstructed and fully exposed, and the staple pusher is held in its fully retracted position by the latch finger 9| as shown in Fig. 3. All that now remains to be done is to place a new supply of staples on the staple rail and then close the cover. When the cover is pressed downwardly, the bottom of the bracket 11 which depends from the rear of the plate HI passes through the opening provided for that purpose in the staple rail top 22, and engages the spring 90, forcing it downwardly and causing the latch finger 9| to disengage the staple pusher. The staple pusher upon being released then pushes against the staples in response to pressure om its pring 48,. and t o k b lt 89 s multaneously slides forwardly in response to pressure from its spring 85, and seat itself endwise within the k p r 84 in e staple m fr nt well. thus locking the cover down in its normal closed position.

As the s aples are c n um d, the stap pu her D will automatically advance toward the front end of the stapler and the position of the fingergrips will indicate at all times the amount of staples still unused. When the staple supply is n rely ha the s aple pusher will then abut the staple arm front wall ll in which no sition it will project into the downward path of the staple driver. If, at this time, the driver is accidentally driven down, it will glancingly engage the forward side of the boss 41 on the staple pusher and force the pusher rearwardly enough to permit the driver to pass on by. By this device any possibility of harm or jamming is elime mated.

We claim:

In t n machine of the type wherein a base pivotally supports the rear end of an e1on gated staple-carrying arm equipped with a longitudina'lly slidable forwardly-urged staple pusher and the rear end of an elongated cover for the arm equipped with a driver at its forward end and swingable in a vertical plane to ward and from the arm, the combination of a locking bolt movably mounted on the cover and engageable with the staple-carrying arm to loci: the one to the other, means on the staple pusher engageable with the locking bolt when the pusher is retracted to a position toward the rear end of the staple-carrying arm, thereby to disengage the locking bolt from the arm, detaining means automatically engageable with the pusher when retracted toward the rear end of the arm to hold the pusher against forward movement therein, and means on the cover operable with movement of the cover toward the arm to engage the pusher detaining means to move the same to disengaging position thereby to release the pusher for forward movement within the staple-carrying arm.

2. In a stapling mach ne of the type wherein a base pivotally supports the rear end of an elongated staple-carrying arm equipped with a forwardly-urged longitudinally slidable staple pusher and the rear end of an elongated cover for the arm equipped with a driver at its forward end and swingable in a vertical plane toward and away from the arm, the combination of a locking bolt mounted for endwise movement on the cover, a keeper at the forward end of the arm engageable by the bolt when the latter is in its forward position thereby to secure the cover in a closed position upon the arm, means on the staple pusher engageable with the bolt to release it from the keeper when the pusher is fully retracted to a rearward position on the staplecarrying arm, thereby to free the cover for opening movement upwardly and away from the arm, spring means releasable for upward vertical movement in response to upward swinging movement of the cover and engageable with the pusher to secure it in its fully retracted position, and means on the cover engageable with the spring means when the cover is swung down to closed position, thereby to free the spring means from engagement with the pusher and release the latter for movement in a forward direction within the staple-carrying arm.

3. In a stapling machine of the type wherein a base pivotally supports on a pin means the rear end of an elongated staple-carrying arm equipped with a longitudinally slidable forwardly-urged staple pusher and the rear end of an elongated cover for the arm equipped with a driver at its forward end and swingable in a vertical plane toward and away from the arm, the combination of a spring actuated locking bolt mounted in the cover for movement longitudinally thereof, a keeper at the forward end of the arm engageable by the locking bolt when the latter is in its forward position to secure the cover in closed position upon the arm, a lug depending from the rear end portion of the locking bolt into the path of the staple pusher to be engaged thereby when the latter is moved to a point near the rear end of the arm, a pusher-locking finger spring, mounted on the base pin means having one end engaging the cover, the other end of the spring extending into the staple carrying arm and po sitioned for engagement with the staple pusher when the latter releases the locking bolt to allow the cover to swing upwardly by pressure of the finger spring, and means depending from the cover engageable with the finger spring to effect a downward movement thereof to a position of disengagement with the staple pusher when the cover is swung downwardly to its closed position.

4. In a stapling machine of the type wherein a base pivotally supports on a pin means the rear end of an elongated staple-carrying arm equipped with a longitudinally slidable forwardly-urged staple pusher and the rear end of an elongated cover for the arm equipped with a driver at its forward end and swingable in a vertical plane toward and away from the arm, the combination of a locking bolt mounted for endwise movement on the cover, a keeper at the forward end of the arm engageable by the bolt when the latter is in its forward position to secure the cover in closed position upon the arm, means on the pusher engageable with the locking bolt when the pusher is slid to a point near the rear end of the arm to release the bolt from the keeper whereby to free the cover for opening movement upwardly and away from the arm, and a pusherlocking finger spring movably mounted on the base pin means with one end extending into the staple arm and positioned to move upwardly into an opening in the staple pusher when the bolt is released by the keeper, the other end engaging the cover, to swing it upwardly to open position by pressure of the finger spring and to disengage the staple pusher when the cover is swung downwardly to closed position upon the arm, thereby to release the staple pusher for movement lengthwise of the arm.

5. In a stapling machine of the type wherein an elongated staple-carrying arm equipped with a longitudinally slidable forwardly-urged staple pusher is pivotally connected on a pin means at its rear end with the rear end of an elongated cover equipped with a driver at its forward end and swingable in a vertical plane toward and away from the arm, the combination of coacting locking means between the cover and arm at the forward ends thereof and having an operating device therefor extended toward the rear ends thereof, means on the staple pusher engageable with the operating device when the pusher is retracted toward the rear end of the staple-carrying arm to free the cover for upward swinging movement away from the arm, spring actuated mean mounted on the pin means engaging the cover at one end, with the other end extending into the staple arm so as to be engageable with the pusher to detain it in its retracted position when the cover is swung upwardly and away from the arm, and means carried by the cover and engageable with the spring actuated means when the cover is swung downwardly to its closed position thereby to free the pusher for movement forwardly within the staple-carrying arm.

6'. In a stapling machine of the type wherein a base pivotally supports on a pin means the rear end of an elongated staple-carrying arm equipped with a longitudinally slidable forwardly urged staple pusher and the rear end of an elongated cover for the arm equipped with a driver at its forward end and swingable in a vertical plane toward and away from the arm, the combination of coacting means at the forward ends of the cover and arm for releasably locking one to the other, one of said coacting means being extended rearwardly toward the opposite end of the arm to lie in the path of the pusher when retracted therein to be engaged to release the cover looking means at the forward end thereof, and releasable retaining means consisting of a spring mounted on the pivot pin and extending into the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Polzer May 26, 1925 Crofoot Feb. 23, 1932 Skrebba, June 10, 1941 Vogel Apr. 14, 1942 Harred Oct. 6, 1942 Maynard Feb. 2, 1943 Pankonin Feb; 16, 1943 

